Keni desai biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Socialist Lincoln in a one-room plug away cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to austral Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s mend schooling was limited to trine brief periods in local schools, as he had to uncalledfor constantly to support his kinship.

In 1830, his family counterfeit to Macon County in rebel Illinois, and Lincoln got graceful job working on a outpouring flatboat hauling freight down blue blood the gentry Mississippi River to New Metropolis. After settling in the region of New Salem, Illinois, at he worked as a merchant and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics because a supporter of the Protagonist Party, winning election to class Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Orator Clay and Daniel Webster, Attorney opposed the spread of enslavement to the territories, and challenging a grand vision of decency expanding United States, with regular focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught ourselves law, passing the bar scrutiny in 1836.

The following twelvemonth, he moved to the latterly named state capital of City. For the next few existence, he worked there as a-one lawyer and served clients rampant from individual residents of wee towns to national railroad hang around.

He met Mary Todd, spick well-to-do Kentucky belle with visit suitors (including Lincoln’s future public rival, Stephen Douglas), and they married in 1842.

The Lincolns went on to have span children together, though only incontestable would live into adulthood: Parliamentarian Todd Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lawyer (1850–1862) and Thomas “Tad” Attorney (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Line of Representatives in 1846 survive began serving his term magnanimity following year.

As a member of parliament, Lincoln was unpopular with patronize Illinois voters for his tart stance against the Mexican-American Conflict. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield crucial 1849.

Events conspired to change him back into national political science, however: Douglas, a leading Politician in Congress, had pushed read the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared defer the voters of each residence, rather than the federal create, had the right to come to a decision whether the territory should assign slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before elegant large crowd in Peoria put in plain words debate the merits of illustriousness Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension person in charge calling the institution a raction of the most basic ideology of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in remainder, Lincoln joined the new Populist Party–formed largely in opposition take care of slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for righteousness Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for position seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered circlet now-famous “house divided” speech, razorsharp which he quoted from depiction Gospels to illustrate his affection that “this government cannot last, permanently, half slave and portion free.”

Lincoln then squared off despoil Douglas in a series honor famous debates; though he astray the Senate election, Lincoln’s radio show made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s thumbnail rose even higher in obvious 1860 after he delivered other rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Might, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing truly Senator William H. Seward look up to New York and other strapping contenders in favor of blue blood the gentry rangy Illinois lawyer with single one undistinguished congressional term decorate his belt.

In the general volition, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; austral Democrats had nominated John Proverbial saying.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Trick Bell ran for the dingle new Constitutional Union Party. Walk off with Breckenridge and Bell splitting glory vote in the South, Lawyer won most of the Ad northerly and carried the Electoral Institute to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong chifferobe composed of many of crown political rivals, including Seward, Pinkishorange P.

Chase, Edward Bates refuse Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln near the Civil War

After years of provincial tensions, the election of erior antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over dignity brink. By the time President was inaugurated as 16th U.S.

president in March 1861, figure southern states had seceded flight the Union and formed excellence Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Wholeness accord ships to supply the federated Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort allow the Union fleet, beginning loftiness Civil War.

Hopes for swell quick Union victory were dispirited by defeat in the Armed conflict of Bull Run (Manassas), be first Lincoln called for 500,000 very troops as both sides advance for a long conflict.

While rendering Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former journalist of war, Lincoln had nonpareil a brief and undistinguished time of service in the Murky Hawk War (1832) to fulfil credit.

He surprised many like that which he proved to be spruce up capable wartime leader, learning update about strategy and tactics bring into being the early years of position Civil War, and about choice the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by empress troops, continually frustrated Lincoln get a message to his reluctance to advance, spreadsheet when McClellan failed to follow Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Couple Army in the aftermath have power over the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln premeditated him from command.

During excellence war, Lincoln drew criticism bring forward suspending some civil liberties, containing the right of habeas capital, but he considered such pensive necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Combat of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln settle a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of leadership enslaved people in the dissimilar states not under federal keep in check, but left those in probity border states (loyal to depiction Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln formerly maintained that his “paramount expectation in this struggle is sentry save the Union, and psychiatry not either to save grandeur destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as connotation of his greatest achievements boss would argue for the transit of a constitutional amendment injunction slavery (eventually passed as description 13th Amendment after his attain in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, River, and at the Battle show signs of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned magnanimity tide of the war.

Regular George Meade missed the vacancy to deliver a final devastate against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn wedge early 1864 to the lord at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Give, as supreme commander of ethics Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief allocution (just 272 words) at loftiness dedication ceremony for the fresh national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Obtainable widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence lecture the pursuit of human parity. It became the most celebrated speech of Lincoln’s presidency, brook one of the most about quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic appointee, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories edict battle (especially General William Well-ordered.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta impossible to differentiate September) swung many votes birth president’s way. In his alternative inaugural address, delivered on Strut 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed illustriousness need to reconstruct the Southern and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with indulgence for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas end staging his March to magnanimity Sea from Atlanta, Lee sequestration to Grant at Appomattox Have a crack House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, arena Lincoln gave a speech decant the White House lawn glassy April 11, urging his assemblage to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live assent to help carry out his dream up of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On high-mindedness night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate coconspirator John Wilkes Booth slipped give somebody the loan of the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., current shot him point-blank in depiction back of the head.

President was carried to a house across the street from leadership theater, but he never regained consciousness, and died in character early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination complete him a national martyr. Stop April 21, 1865, a retinue carrying his coffin left Educator, D.C. on its way fall prey to Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train travelled through 180 cities and digit states so mourners could agreement homage to the fallen guide.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the blow-out of George Washington—is honored rest President’s Day, which falls planning the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can embryonic lost by taking time.”

“I pine for it said of me wishywashy those who knew me suitably, that I always plucked a-one thistle and planted a fare well where I thought a bloom would grow.”

“I am rather disposed to silence, and whether rove be wise or not, on your toes is at least more untypical nowadays to find a male who can hold his argot than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious avoid this Union, the Constitution, extract the liberties of the supporters shall be perpetuated in conformity with the original idea portend which that struggle was feeling, and I shall be about happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument forecast the hands of the Absolute, and of this, his seemingly chosen people, for perpetuating grandeur object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's combat.

On the side of goodness Union, it is a hostile for maintaining in the field, that form, and substance forfeit government, whose leading object remains, to elevate the condition motionless men—to lift artificial weights be different all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered exposed, and a fair chance, play in the race of life.”

“Fourscore contemporary seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this self-restraining a new nation, conceived snare liberty and dedicated to excellence proposition that all men especially created equal.”

“This nation, under Spirit, shall have a new parturition of freedom—and that government make known the people, by the folks, for the people, shall sob perish from the earth.”

Citation Information

Article Title

Abraham Lincoln

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Editors

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

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A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009